Theology in Overalls 
"The high-wire of sound doctrine" by Gregory Crofford for Monday, 28 November 2016
False doctrine can have a ring of truth to it. That's what makes it attractive. But there's a catch: Wrong teaching results when a single truth is isolated from other balancing truths.
Two examples come to mind. The first is from Psalm 46:10a: "Be still and know that I am God." In our frenetic world, many of us need to rediscover the practice of quietness. Catherine Marshall spoke of the "prayer of relinquishment." We must come to a place of stillness where we acknowledge that God is God and we are not.
Yet for the person who has trouble gearing down and waiting on the Lord, there is a polar opposite. This is the individual who is passive almost to the point of fatalism. Their motto is que sera, sera - whatever will be, will be. Such a person doesn't need Psalm 46:10; instead, give them a dose of James 2:17. Tell them that faith without works is dead. Remind them to put feet to their prayers.
A second example has to do with how we describe God's character. I'm reading through A More Christlike God by Bradley Jersak. It's representative of 21st century North American writers who emphasize the love and grace of God, and what amazing attributes of our Triune God these are! For those who have lingered in oppresssive, legalistic settings in the church, a book like Jersak's is salve for a bruised spirit, just what the doctor ordered.
But love and grace are not all Scripture has to say about God. Have we so emphasized these two truths that we risk losing sight of counterbalancing truths apparent in the life of Christ and the New Testament as a whole? Jesus was willing to make a whip and drive moneychangers from the Temple, an event so pivotal to the narrative that it is recorded in all four Gospels (John 2:13-17, Mark 11:15-17, Luke 19:45-47, Matthew 21:12-13). And the writer to the Hebrews thunders that our God is a "consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29). The same Bible that affirms God's love affirms God's wrath. If we are unable or - worse yet - unwilling to hold these twin truths together, then we'll merely repeat the mistake of the Israelites who got bored at the foot of Mt. Sinai, forging our own golden calf, reshaping God into how we imagine the LORD should be instead of bowing before who God actually is. God ends up as the stereotypical doting and permissive grandpa, the substitute teacher who kids at first think is fun but ultimately whose clueless classroom management cannot earn their respect.
Sound doctrine is a balancing act. Scripture is nuanced and we can't afford to lean too far in one direction or another, or we may tumble off the high wire. Let's avoid falsehood by continue to balance truth with truth.
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Image credit: Music Teacher's Helper
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Gregory Crofford
Two examples come to mind. The first is from Psalm 46:10a: "Be still and know that I am God." In our frenetic world, many of us need to rediscover the practice of quietness. Catherine Marshall spoke of the "prayer of relinquishment." We must come to a place of stillness where we acknowledge that God is God and we are not.
Yet for the person who has trouble gearing down and waiting on the Lord, there is a polar opposite. This is the individual who is passive almost to the point of fatalism. Their motto is que sera, sera - whatever will be, will be. Such a person doesn't need Psalm 46:10; instead, give them a dose of James 2:17. Tell them that faith without works is dead. Remind them to put feet to their prayers.
A second example has to do with how we describe God's character. I'm reading through A More Christlike God by Bradley Jersak. It's representative of 21st century North American writers who emphasize the love and grace of God, and what amazing attributes of our Triune God these are! For those who have lingered in oppresssive, legalistic settings in the church, a book like Jersak's is salve for a bruised spirit, just what the doctor ordered.
But love and grace are not all Scripture has to say about God. Have we so emphasized these two truths that we risk losing sight of counterbalancing truths apparent in the life of Christ and the New Testament as a whole? Jesus was willing to make a whip and drive moneychangers from the Temple, an event so pivotal to the narrative that it is recorded in all four Gospels (John 2:13-17, Mark 11:15-17, Luke 19:45-47, Matthew 21:12-13). And the writer to the Hebrews thunders that our God is a "consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29). The same Bible that affirms God's love affirms God's wrath. If we are unable or - worse yet - unwilling to hold these twin truths together, then we'll merely repeat the mistake of the Israelites who got bored at the foot of Mt. Sinai, forging our own golden calf, reshaping God into how we imagine the LORD should be instead of bowing before who God actually is. God ends up as the stereotypical doting and permissive grandpa, the substitute teacher who kids at first think is fun but ultimately whose clueless classroom management cannot earn their respect.
Sound doctrine is a balancing act. Scripture is nuanced and we can't afford to lean too far in one direction or another, or we may tumble off the high wire. Let's avoid falsehood by continue to balance truth with truth.
_________
Image credit: Music Teacher's Helper
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Gregory Crofford
Monday, November 28, 2016
Tags: balance, false doctrine
Categories: Bible, reflections
URL: http://wp.me/p1xcy8-1rG
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