Before we begin a new
series, I wanted to offer some clarifications on the Theology series we began
in October.
Transendence:
First, a friend and
colleague [Jason, from School of Fish] reminded
me that when speaking of God’s transcendence, it is not enough to say that God
is separate, because of His holiness, from His creation. Nor is it enough to hold this superiority in
conjunction with his immanence to creation.
We must also assert that God is sovereign over creation. As Creator and Sustainer, God is at once
superior over, near to, and exercising supreme authority over creation at all
times. This is a more fully orbed
approach to God’s transcendence.
Jesus and Theology:
Second, I mentioned in the
introduction that I would return to the claim that Jesus didn’t spend that much
time on Theology, so we shouldn’t either.
It can be reasonably argued that everything Jesus did was a lesson in theology,
for He came to be the visible image of the invisible God. Jesus didn’t merely teach theology, He was theology. His sermon on the mount reveals the nature of
the kingdom of God, and defines what characterizes the lives of citizens of
this kingdom. These statements have
great implications regarding the nature and character of the King. Jesus spent a considerable amount of time
correcting the errant theology of the first century Palestinian religious
leaders; as well as commending that of the Gentiles of that time (to include,
but not limited to: a Roman soldier, a Syro-Phoenician woman, a woman at Jacob’s well). The gospels are filled with Jesus teaching
His disciples who God was/is; and so He taught theology throughout His ministry
here on earth.
So What?:
Finally, some closing
thoughts on why theology is important.
If you recall (if you don’t, go here), I
challenged you to examine the statement of faith of the church you attend. And I gave the following as an example:
“Consider for a moment a
church that in their statement of faith says:
We
believe that the gifts of evangelist, pastor and teacher are for the perfecting
of the saints today to prepare God’s people for works of service so that the
body of Christ may be built up. God supernaturally and graciously grants
spiritual gifts to every believer for the purpose of serving the body of
Christ.[1]
Sounds good. Lines up with scripture. Gives each member of the church a view of
communal service and a hope that he or she may be used by God for His works. Now, what if that church does not allow women
to teach, nor to administer communion or collect offering or pray in
public? Does this practice align with
their stated belief? Or, are they
contradicting themselves with the subtle belief that the gifts God gives to
women are not for the full body of Christ?”
Unfortunately, this
particular church, which the Officer and I attended for a few weeks during our
“church shopping” excursions in the weeks after moving to the mountains, lived
out the latter. Though their statement
of faith says that “God supernaturally and graciously grants spiritual gifts to
every believer for the purpose of serving the body of Christ,” their practice
of this statement showed they believe only men to be worthy of the communal
expression of this gifting. Further, the
surrounding lines of this tenet states,
We believe that the gifts of
evangelist, pastor and teacher are for the perfecting of the saints today to
prepare God’s people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be
built up. God supernaturally and
graciously grants spiritual gifts to every believer for the purpose of serving
the body of Christ. The miraculous gifts of healing, signs and wonders, tongues and interpretation
of tongues, during the apostolic era, were for the purpose of authenticating
the apostle’s message. (These miraculous gifts gradually diminished as the New
Testament Scriptures were completed and the authority of the scriptures became
established. **) In accord with His will, we believe that God does hear
and answer the prayer of faith for the sick and afflicted. [emphasis
mine]
Thus, not only do they
eliminate women from the expression of God-given spiritual gifts for the
edification of the body, they have in effect placed the Holy Spirit in a box –
telling Him what gifts He may or may not bestow (and of course, upon whom He
may bestow them). Granted, the double
asterisk indicates that this particular church leadership does not see this tenet
as “essential to the faith,” though every person interested in membership must
“must respect and teach the entire doctrinal statement.”[2]
So even if you don’t agree with it,
you’d better tow the party line.
Except that, I can’t find anywhere in
scripture that even alludes to a diminishing and then disappearance of the
miraculous gifts. Or that these gifts
were given only to authenticate apostolic messages. Further, if these gifts were intended (and
may we reflect just a moment on the audacious assumption that we can fully know
God’s intention?) to authenticate the Gospel, would they not
be needed even more today when 2,000 years have passed and cultures have
changed? What do we do with this
statement in light of stories of the miraculous coming from our fellow
believers in different contexts? Do we,
as the Pharisees did, claim that these miracles are being performed by the
power of Satan and His minions? What
does that say about the rest of the scriptures penned during the formative
years of the Church? Does this mean that
we can twist and selectively pull out the uncomfortable parts of scripture to
better suit our cultural experiences?
Or do we have to deal with the entirety of Scripture?
Even the parts we don’t like, or don’t have experience
with?
Thus, dear ones, I
confess: the Officer and I didn’t find this church a “good fit.” I realize this can sound so consumerist. But I had to ask: do I want my children
growing up thinking that God’s Holy Spirit will only do what we can understand,
in ways that we expect?
Or do
I want them to know the God who is untamable and surprising and miraculous,
too?
Do I want my daughter to
lean over and ask me why only the men get to pray, or offer communion, or read;
so that when I can offer no good reason, she eventually learns by rote that she
is somehow less?
Or do
I want her to know that women sat at Jesus’ feet, learning alongside the men;
that women were the first to proclaim the risen Lord; that a woman was the
first mortal to know that the Messiah was come?
And, of course, do I not
want my son to see women serving alongside the men so that he learns that the
Kingdom of Heaven is made up of both sexes, that Christ came to redeem and
restore all, even intra-sex relationships between men and women?
Dearest reader, this is
why theology is so important. Because it
affects the very air we breathe. It
inhabits our bones and sinew. Our
theology becomes us, defines us, motivates us.
Thus we must agree that
while Jesus came for the ultimate purpose of our salvation, He also came to be
a living example of theology, to teach us what to think about God. And so theology is something we must not
neglect. So I encourage you again, spend
time looking over your church’s statement of faith. Hold these tenets up to the Scriptures to
ensure that they agree. And then watch
how these tenets are lived out, remembering that not a one of us is perfect and
so require grace, to ensure that the theology you’re ingesting is the one that
points you and all those to whom you are to minister to the One, True God.
[1] http://www.chapelinthehills.org/?page_id=94 Accessed 1/27/14 at 16:44 MST
[2] http://www.chapelinthehills.org/?page_id=94
Accessed 1/27/14 at 16:44MST
