Scribbling Theology:

Tag: church

• Let’s Fight Depression

  Posted at 2:40 pm by scribblingtheology, on September 11, 2019

  

  I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me up against the Rock of Ages. – C. H. Spurgeon

  It’s only been hours since Jarrid Wilson pastor, and author of Love Is Oxygen: How God Can Give You Life and Change Your World, and Jesus Swagger died by suicide. As a personal favourite of mine, the news hit me hard. For the past two hours, I’ve been at a loss for word, tearing up, confused, shocked, and unable to properly process how someone like Jarrid – with a beautiful wife and two amazing kids, a successful author and megachurch pastor could, in a single moment give it all away. My heart aches for him, his friends and his family. I can bearly begin to fathom the hurt, trauma and anguish in the days, weeks, months and even years that are ahead for those closest to him. However, this hasn’t been the only case recently where a pastor has chosen to end their life rather than continue on. Suicide, depression and mental health problems are bombarding the Church in what seems like higher numbers than ever before. Personally, as someone who identifies strongly with this, I can’t help but say “this is not the kind of Christianity that I signed up for.” So many questions are rolling around in my head. Why is this happening to us? What is depression, and why is it so crippling? How do we fight this? Where’s God in all of this? I really don’t know.

  This is not the Christianity I signed up for. Sure, I didn’t expect it to be all rainbows and butterflies, but the Christian life is meant to be full of joy and love and goodness, right? We were all told that God has a great and wonderful plan for our lives, that He wants to bless and prosper us. Where’s the light and easy yoke? Where’s the comfort, and the peace that surpasses all understanding? These are all legitimate promises and verses in the Bible, yet, in reality, it often feels like we rarely ever experience it. The fallen world gets the better of us. Sin crouches at the door, and it feels like we rarely rule over it. Depression smashes us and leaves us without hope, and we end up feeling like the Psalter who says:

  My soul thirsts for God,
      for the living God.
  When shall I come and appear before God?
  My tears have been my food
      day and night,
  while they say to me all the day long,
      “Where is your God?”
  These things I remember,
      as I pour out my soul:
  how I would go with the throng
      and lead them in procession to the house of God
  with glad shouts and songs of praise,
      a multitude keeping festival.

  Why are you cast down, O my soul,
      and why are you in turmoil within me? (Psalm 42:2-5a)

  Notice though the glimmer of hope, how he longs to gladly shout praises amid his sorrow.  How hard it is to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I get that … I really do. God, dear beloved friend, gets it even more. Jesus, the man of sorrows shares in your pain, your anguish and your tears and He took them to the Cross. He longs to take hold of you and never let go. He loves you more then I could ever express in mere words. I know it’s impossible for you to see, but He offers new life.

  Depression is dark and uncertain, but God called forth light and defeated darkness on the Cross so that we might live and live it abundantly. 

  I don’t have answers. God does. Take up your swords fellow depressed and beaten down brothers and sisters, slay that which seeks to destroy your soul, take hold of the One who wants to bear your burden and for God sakes join arms with others. Please, we want to help you even if all we can do is hug you tight and pray. The fight sucks, but it is worth it…

  Finally, here is my challenge:

  1. Christians make yourself available and make that publically known to everyone around you. Don’t let someone slip through the cracks because you were too lazy to love someone.
  2. Pastors stop preaching trash. Get it into your thick skull, the message of the Bible isn’t sunshine and lollipops. It’s light overcoming darkness, and that’s yet to come to completion until our King returns. Preach the Cross. Preach freedom. Preach life. Just don’t forget to preach it out of the reality we live in, not the one we try to create for ourselves.
  3. If you’re struggling hardcore with this and you know me. Contact me, please. Let’s walk, talk and drink coffee together. I’ll listen, pray and give you a hug. You’re worth it and much much more.
  Posted in Scribbles | 1 Comment | Tagged Christianity, church, depression, God, Jesus, love, opinion, Spirituality

• Major on the Majors & Minor on the Minors

  Posted at 12:29 pm by scribblingtheology, on August 6, 2019

  

  500 years ago, the hammer fell, and the nail-pierced the door at Wittenburg, which gave birth to the Protestant movement which, over time, grew into the theologically diverse Church that we have today. Some say this is a bad thing, that Protestants never agree on anything, everyone in a sense is their own Pope, their own ultimate authority. People argue that the Protestant movement is so fractured that it works against the unity that Scripture promotes (John 17:23; 1 Cor 1:10; Eph 4:11-13; Col 3:13-14). Indeed I say, the Bible promotes unity and even commands it. But you know the old saying, sometimes you have to crack a few eggs to make the perfect omelette.

  Granted, that omelette is still being cooked (we’re always reforming). However, I believe as one friend told me a long time ago that the diversity in the Protestant movement is actually apart of God’s will to deliberately hold the entire Church accountable to interpreting His Word correctly, rather than relying on just one or a few people to interpret it rightly for us (this is known as the priesthood of believers). This was a huge part of the Reformation, the Word was placed into the hands of all of God’s people, not just a few “qualified” men. Praise God for that. We can’t though, simply turn a blind eye to obvious differences in our movement. One can walk down a street and note a Presbyterian church next to a Uniting, next to a Baptist, next to a Lutheran, next to an Anglican, all within thirty seconds of one another. With the wealth of information (largely thanks to the internet) and the progression of theological scholarship, even just one local church can have a diverse theological membership or leadership within its own congregation. So, how do we then “major on the majors, and minor on the minors” so the speak? How do we minister with the vast range of theological differences even within our own local churches?

  Short answer – it depends. Read on.

  1. Confessions or statements of faith:

  Throughout church history, many confessions, creeds, and statements have been written and nutted out by men greater than most of us that usually major on the majors. These majors include the nature of God, the hypostatic union, the nature of humanity, inerrancy and inspiration concerning Scripture, the atonement, sacraments, and in one way or another the Gospel (repentance, faith, Jesus’ life, death and resurrection etc.). Reading through some of these and even potentially adopting one for your own church (or even for just yourself) will go a long way in avoiding potential pitfalls in the future.

  2. Humility and grace:

  We must remember, especially those of us who are theologically trained, to maintain a position of humility and grace to those we disagree with on the minors. Minor doctrines are positions we might take that we personally believe are clear in the Scriptures but don’t necessarily affect one’s standing with God. These minors issues might include eschatology, Calvinism/Arminianism/ Molinism, the age of the earth or universe (evolution and science etc.), continuationism/cessationism, again the sacraments (depending on one’s view, you can categorise some of these in different tiers), complementarianism/egalitarianism. We must always be ready to be wrong on minor issues while still believing we’re right on what we believe (otherwise, why believe it?).

  3. Ecclesiology, prayer, and coffee:

  Almost every Protestant denomination majors on the majors. You should be able to walk into a Presbyterian church, a Baptist church, a Lutheran church, and here the same Gospel being preached to their members. However, secondary issues can affect how we minister together practically. For example, pedo vs credo baptism understandably affects the way one does church, and it has some bearing on how the Gospel is displayed, but the differences aren’t salvific. Something like this I would categorise as a secondary issue – important enough that it affects our ecclesiology, but not so important that I wouldn’t consider the person I disagree with a heretic. A third-tier issue is something like eschatology or the age of the earth, these don’t necessarily have a bearing on your ecclesiology but are important enough to how one largely interprets the Bible and in turn the Christian life. These things can affect how we do church (depending on how militant the person is about their position), but they don’t have to. Third-tier issues can inevitably tie into second and even major tiered issues, so it’s understandable why, in some cases, people may not be able to minister together. However, if leaders and members can somehow embrace the differences, it would make for a theologically, robust church.

  This kind of unity is fostered by taking the command to love one another seriously (John 13:34-35), to maintain a humble yet open disposition displayed first from the leadership and then by the members. Lots of prayers, as I’ve heard it said, you can’t hate someone you pray for often, and lots of conversations over good quality coffee with an open Bible. Finally, I’d say encourage mature theological discussion and training. Whether it’s from a seminary, college or your own church, people can only grow if you’re willing to teach. If we can encourage this kind of unity and maturity in our theological development, it will hopefully flow out into our churches. It’s hard but not impossible, and I think the rewards are worth it. At the end of the day if the differences end up being too great, at least walk away in love trying to keep the unity of the faith.

  Posted in Scribbles | 0 Comments | Tagged Christ, Christianity, church, God, Jesus, love, opinion, Spirituality, Theology

• The Lonely Theologian

  Posted at 3:05 pm by scribblingtheology, on July 22, 2019

  

  Believe me, when I say this – It would be so easy to draw a “crowd.” I know what the right things to say are, the right doctrines and thoughts. I could be thoroughly orthodox in every way and no one would bat an eye and every blog I wrote would get likes, “amens” and maybe a few shares. I could completely immerse myself in a theological tribe and get pats on the back and a thumbs up from my kin all the while completely selling out on what is I really believe. If you want the easiest path to being liked by others in the Christian Faith let me tell you what to believe (on top of the obvious stuff about Jesus, the Trinity, Scripture and salvation which are non-negotiable):

  1. That the universe is roughly 6000-10000 years old. Christians love this one because Jesus said in order to receive eternal life you must firmly hold to the idea that the universe is young and then be born again… obviously.
  2. The Bible is to be read at face value and read literally. I mean because every single one of us reads the Scriptures in its original languages and has a thorough understanding of its original context. Wow! Amazing!
  3. That all we need to do is read just “read Bible.” We just need a “simple faith.” Amen, I mean who needs over 2000 years of theological thought, translation and reflection to at all help how we understand God’s Holy Word right?
  4. That the Bible is about me and you. The authors of the Bible wrote Scripture fully anticipating a white Western 21st Century Christian to be reading about food safety laws in Leviticus thousands of years later. How considerate.
  5. That our tribe has it all figured out. This one just speaks for itself.

  Satire? Yes. I hope you get the point.

  Trust me, being a theologian (though I’m not sure if I’d really consider myself as one) is lonely and tough work. You read and pray, and think and pray, and discuss and pray, and read some more. We’re in “ivory towers” not just because we choose to be there ourselves, but because sometimes we’re exiled to the ivory towers by the community of Christians we usually hang around. Usually, what ends up happening one way or another is that what you once thought you knew ends up changing or at least being convincingly challenged. This is extremely isolating because at least in my experience, you start believing and working through things that no one else likes and you become alienated even from people you were closest too. I make note of this issue in a blog I recently wrote but I’ll reiterate it here. Being a good theologian, even a good Christian is embracing “the wrong.” We should love it, look for it and welcome it like a dear friend. There is nothing more humbling and even exciting than realising something we’ve held to our entire lives wasn’t quite right and that there is an entirely new world of waiting for us to take hold of.

  I guess my indictment is this. Let’s kill our theological golden calves before we “kill” one another. There are truths worth dying for –  but there aren’t any worth killing for.

  Posted in Scribbles | 0 Comments | Tagged Christianity, church, doctrine, God, Identity, Idolatry, Jesus, opinion, Spirituality, Theology

• The Sin of Scepticism: Finding Wisdom in an Age of Criticism

  Posted at 9:09 am by scribblingtheology, on July 10, 2019

  

  The Age of Reason gave birth to the sceptic in a way never before experienced by humanity. All of a sudden, everything we read and believed was to be grounded in evidence and reason. If it didn’t make sense then it didn’t exist. In a lot of ways, this was really great. We could call in to question once held to beliefs, challenge them, and we could see if they held ground. This paved the way to a lot of what we have today technologically and even what we’ve rediscovered historically. Unfortunately, scepticism has become the default position of our generation, it has become one of the greats gods of our era. Recently, a good friend of mine asked me “Why do you reckon we find it easier to be negative and sceptical than positive?”

  Love is the quintessential epicentre of Christ and ergo, the Christian faith. We are seriously terrible at loving people because we’ve learnt to hate our entire lives. What I mean is this. Consider one of the great meta-narratives making its way throughout our time. “You’re special. You’re smart. Whatever you put your mind to, you can achieve. You’re important.” This narrative perpetuates the notion that the individual is the most important thing in existence. We’re taught to love ourselves, to think highly of ourselves, and to believe we can do anything if we just try… and even then we’re still utterly amazing if we don’t. However, in the never-ending quest of self-love, we actually end up seeing others as less important, less special, less intelligent, less capable, and less wise. One can see how steeped in pride this is, easily leading to hating your brother and thinking him a fool.

  Let me be clear if you’re reading this: in and of yourself, you are extremely mundane.  This is hard for us to come to terms with because every movie we watch, or book we read, the world is telling us that we’re destined for greatness, that we’re the chosen one who’s going to bring balance to the Force, that we can destroy the Matrix, throw the ring into Mt. Doom, and save the princess. Reality sucks. People go their entire lives and die without ever finding love, purpose or meaning. It’s tragic but nonetheless real.

  Second, is change and challenge. We automatically disagree with new or different positions because change is an incredibly hard thing to have us do. Why? Because realising that you have to change and grow is admitting to yourself and to the world around you that you’re not as perfect as you thought. It’s an immensely humbling and often painful process which is why it might take years for someone to even shift their perspective on a certain issue let alone change the way they live.

  Third, positive reinforcement, and having an open disposition to others’ opinions rather than being immediately dismissive means believing that another might have more wisdom than you. This is a big struggle for a lot of us because we’ve lived our lives acting (never admitting) that we’re always right about anything and everything we hold to. All of a sudden, someone else might know better than you and that’s a huge kick in the backside – extremely deflating to one’s ego (especially mine).

  Finally, let me say this. I think God holds Christians to a high standard. The Scriptures tell us that Christ has become the wisdom of God, and we’re in Him (1 Cor 1:26-30), and if the Fall was about us living by our own wisdom and not God’s (Gen 3), then we’re called to not be wise in our own sight (Rom 12:14-21), to uphold one another in honour (Rom 12:10), and to even consider others better then ourselves (Philip 2:3). Now we’re getting somewhere, no we’re displaying the love of God. So, instead of coming into a conversation or situation with an attitude of disbelief or with scepticism, we should be asking “what can God teach me through this person. Especially, if all things are worked out for my good (Rom 8:28), even this conversation?”

  Posted in Scribbles | 0 Comments | Tagged Christ, Christianity, church, God, Jesus, love, opinion, Spirituality, Theology

• Learning from the Puritans: Communion with the Triune God by John Owen

  Posted at 12:54 pm by scribblingtheology, on July 8, 2019

  

  I remember reading J. I. Packer a few years ago and being struck when he said that the Puritans are like the Redwood trees of the Christian world (the Redwoods are the biggest trees in America). And I remember being even more struck when he said: “And John Owen is the greatest of the Redwoods”.

  And just as the Redwood trees would be a momentous climb, so John Owen requires a momentous effort to read. He even laments his own writing style. But I firmly believe his writings and works are worth all the toil in the world.

  This short blog on communion with God is really an attempt to make accessible what John Owen has to say about how we worship the Father and the Son in an intimate and particular way. The aim of this blog is to elicit deeper and richer worship.

  So how do we worship the Father, and the Son?

  The Father: Owen begins pastorally by helping us to see that we commune with the Father in love. Christians should see that the Father is full of love for us. I think it’s tempting for us to sometimes think that God the Father only loves us because Jesus died for us. But notice the order of John 3:16. It’s because God loved the world that he sent his Son to die for it. Because God set his affections upon us he paved the way back for us to commune with him through the sacrifice of his Son.

  And there are two responses from us if we’re to have communion with God the Father. First, we must receive this love by faith, and through Christ. We need to see, behold, and hold on to the fact that as the light of the sun comes to us and warms us by its beams, so through Jesus, the beams of the Father’s love comes to us with delight. Second, we are to respond in love as we marvel at the fullness of the Father’s love towards us. A right understanding of God’s love to us must pass through the head and into the heart. And when the heart is warmed by the love of God we cannot help but love him back. Ephesians 1:4 begins with God’s love to us in Christ, and finishes with our love for him.

  The Son: We commune with Jesus Christ in grace. Grace is everywhere described to Jesus Christ. Grace and truth came through Christ (John. 1:16-17). We commune with Christ in grace in three ways.

  1. Grace as personal beauty. We commune with Christ in his beauty because we are desperately needy. As Christians, we can assume that when we first come to saving faith we are needy and Christ meets our need. But then we eventually move on and lose our neediness. But this isn’t the case, we never become not needy. But the good news is that Christ never becomes not sufficient to meet our needs. The Father was pleased for the fullness to dwell in Christ (Col. 1:19). Because of his fullness, Christ meets our every need. Are you dead? Christ is your life. Are you weak? Christ is your strength. Are you ignorant? Christ is your wisdom. Are you guilty? Christ is your righteousness. As we see Christ’s sufficiency for our every need we commune with him in the grace of his beauty.
  2. Grace as acceptance. Paul in the book of Ephesians reminds us that we’ve been saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9). This grace is the free undeserving acceptance of God the Father through the blood of Christ. This grace is extended to us because of the perfect life, death and resurrection of Jesus. And so we get to commune with him as the blood brought bride.
  3. Grace as renewal, and the enabling to walk in the holiness of a new life. This is an organic grace that we receive from Christ. It’s a grace that Jesus works in us by the power of the Holy Spirit. In John 15, Jesus says he is the vine, and we are the branches. When we are united to Christ by faith he will produce good fruit in us. This is a work of his grace.

  So next time you drop to your knees in prayer, consider the unique ways you can pray to God the Father in love, and God the Son in grace. Consider how you relate to each member in particular. And may your walk with God become richer, deeper, and more meaningful in the years ahead.

  Part II on the Spirit still to come…

  Written by

  Daniel Barden

  Posted in Book Review | 0 Comments | Tagged Christ, Christianity, church, God, Jesus, love, opinion, Review, Spirituality, Theology

• Love is More Complicated Than You Think

  Posted at 9:34 am by scribblingtheology, on July 6, 2019

  

  So I had this thought while driving to work this morning, “love is more complicated than you think.” On the one hand, it’s really simple, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Simple yes, the problem is though love gets a seriously bad wrap in the 21st century so the idea of loving your neighbour can be often misunderstood to mean a few things:

  1. Love is often misunderstood to mean that you should just lay down and die. Love does not mean that you’re a welcome matt for everyone to walk over. Love means service and sacrifice, but it doesn’t need to mean abused slave (persecution is an exception). I can’t even count the number of times I’ve seen Christians roll over and die for the sake of “loving your enemy or neighbour” (Mark 12:30-31). All I’m saying is this, Christian, be careful you’re not using love as an excuse to justice a passivism of idolatry. Be careful you’re not using love as a way to get out of confrontation because you’re afraid of what people might think of you or do to you. God uses the weak, yes (1 Corinthians 1:7). But sometimes He needs fearless warriors as well (Ephesians 6:13-18). This sorta leads into my next point.
  2. Perhaps it’s my sinful self but nothing frustrates me more than Christians allowing someone to do something in the name of love but at the expense of justice. Alright guys, let’s get real here. God hates injustice and iniquity (Psalm 5:5; Proverbs 6:16-19; Isaiah 59; Luke 12:45-46). He hates the oppression of the poor, the widowed and marginalised of the world (Psalms 68:5; 1 Timothy 5; James 1:27). Time and time again I see Christians use loving people as an excuse to not boldly call out when there’s something wrong happening in our communities because there’s a belief that being a meek and mild passive Christian seems to be more loving then stopping someone from doing something bad. Oh and that reminds me.
  3. Stop using love as an excuse for sin. This is the real fundamental issue. Time and time again Christians use love as an excuse to let people off the hook for their sin. “Don’t judge” they say, or “just love them, dude.” Let me be absolutely clear there is nothing more unloving, more ungodly, more unchristlike then allowing a person or persons, in the name of love, to perpetuate sin, injustice and chaos in a world where God wants to make all things new and free from these very things (Proverbs 17:15; Matthew 18:15-17).

  All this tends to fly in the face of the modern concept of love. Allowing people to do what they want, acceptance and endorsement. This couldn’t be more unbiblical and, dare I say, abhorrent to the God of the Bible.

  So then, what is love? This is where it becomes a touch more complicated because the Bible only gives us hints and clues but really leaves the practice up to wisdom and discernment. Love is servanthood and sacrifice (Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:10), it’s patient and kind (1 Corinthians 13:4-8), humble but also fierce, it’s human flourishing at its finest (Genesis 1-2). Love is the main game but it’s the sort of love we find in Jesus’ whole life and ministry. Jesus was, by today’s standards fairly judgemental, corrective of sin, stood out against the oppressed and marginalised, but loved the world so much that He died for it (John 3:16). He was the ultimate servant of humanity (Philippians 2). We need a complete and holistic perspective on Jesus’ character if we are to imitate Him. 

  Posted in Scribbles | 0 Comments | Tagged Christ, Christianity, church, God, Jesus, love, opinion, Spirituality, Theology

• Must Read Books and Theologians: Part I

  Posted at 11:43 am by scribblingtheology, on June 25, 2019

  

  N.T. Wright

  Wright will probably go down in history as one of the greatest theologians/scholars of our age. He is a monster when it comes to writing books (he pumps one out every day I swear), and his work in the historical Jesus is unmatched. There isn’t a single book that won’t make you walk away with a fresh perspective and a greater appreciation for Scripture and theology.

  • Surprised by Hope 

  Surprised by Hope is probably one of his more well-known works. This book almost single-handedly changed the way modern evangelicals think about the last days, heaven, the judgement to come. If there was one book out of this list you should absolutely read it’s this one.

  • The Day the Revolution Began

  An excellent book on thinking over the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. For a more in-depth review click here.

  • Pauline Perspectives: 1978-2013

  This was my first introduction to Wright. I gotta admit, when I first read it, I had no idea what was being said. It’s a dense read and has over thirty years of scholarship for you to comb through. If you can get through it then you deserve a clap. Good luck.

  • Paul: A Biography

  A great introduction to the person and work of the Apostle Paul. For a good review on this book click here.

  G. K. Beale 

  Beale is an absolute genius and knows his biblical theology almost better than anyone I’ve read. If you want to understand how our eschatology integrates with the here and now as well as with the biblical narrative look no further.

  • A New Testament Biblical Theology

  No pastor’s library is complete without Beale’s A New Testament Biblical Theology and A Commentary on the New Testaments Use of the Old Testament. These books are worth their weight in gold as you go back to it time and time again to make sense of the passage you’ll be preaching through.

  • The Temple and the Church’s Mission

  Originally recommended to me by a good friend of mine, The Temple and the Church’s Mission coupled with Kingdom Come by Sam Storms thoroughly convinced of Amillennialism and it’s implications for the Christian life. Look no further dear reader.

  • We Become What We Worship

  I first heard of this book through my old bible college lecturer as he was going through the idea of identity and idolatry (another great book by the way). I’ve gotta say, thinking about sin, and how we become what we worship changes the way you look at life on a fundamental level. I cannot recommend this book enough.

  • Revelation

  I’ll be blunt. If you want a solid commentary on the book of Revelation, start here.

  C.S. Lewis 

  Does this man need an introduction? If you’re not sure who he is… where have you been? This guy is a legend and definitely belongs in the theological hall of fame.

  • The Chronicles of Narnia

  Yes… ok… not very theological I know. However, go deeper dear reader and you’ll begin to discover and taste some of Lewis’ idea as they jump off the page in this grand story. Besides, this is a classic… so just read it ok?

  • The Screw Tape Letters

  Edgey, scary, and so very thought provoking. The Screw Tape Letters are probably one of the best books ever written on the topic of spiritual warfare. It won’t be long until you start to adopt a more spiritual perspective of reality.

  • The Great Divorce

  Hell yes. This book is so confusing but rich at the same time. I recently wrote a blog on hell that mentions this book, and let me just say The Great Divorce adds a lot of shape to the conversation around the nature of hell. Go! Read it.

  John Walton

  Walton is a great as he can be controversial. Personally, I love everything he does. However, he stirs up Christians who tend to read the Bible more literally. What fun!

  • The Lost World of Genesis One

  The first book in his lost world series, Walton really digs deep into the ancient near eastern world, develops the context, and places the Scriptures in that world. Worth a read he is honestly one of the best people for this job. For a deeper review, click here.

  • The Lost World of the Flood

  I personally clicked with this book better than Genesis one, but it’s similar in style and content, copy and paste above 🙂

  • A Survey of the Old Testament

  A Survey of the Old Testament by Hill and Walton was actually my textbook for bible college. It’s easy to read, informative and a great resource to introduce anyone to the big picture of the Old Testament.

  Other Must-Read Books and Theologians

  • The Cradle, The Cross, and the Crown by Andreas J. Konstenberger

  One of the best New Testament introductions I’ve personally had the pleasure of reading.

  • Desiring the Kingdom by James K. A. Smith

  Amazing. Compliments Beale’s theology on idolatry and worship. Smith is simply brilliant.

  • The Unseen Realm by Michael Heiser

  Still making my way through it as I’ve given it a friend. From what I’ve read of it and heard of Heiser on his podcast, the biblical theology in this is stunning, challenging and extremely thought-provoking. Expect a more in-depth review of this in the future.

  • Anything by Tim Mackie and the Bible Project

  Delightful.

  Posted in Book Review | 0 Comments | Tagged Christianity, church, doctrine, God, Jesus, opinion, Review, Spirituality, Theology

• Hell

  Posted at 11:49 am by scribblingtheology, on June 20, 2019

  

  I wanna write a few things before you jump into this blog:

  1. I’m not entirely sure why I’m writing this. I feel like I need to, there seems to be a huge swell of conversation around this topic of late. I guess I’m trying track with it while offering some insight and resources for my readers.
  2. I’m not entirely sure where I actually sit on the issue of Hell. Like I mention in the blog, the Bible uses a lot of different language to describe its nature. I think it is real but what Hell actually looks like is still a bit of a mystery to me.
  3. I’m not really refuting any other position per se, rather, I am writing about this topic in order to work out in my own head and heart what this is all about. While there are certain positions on the doctrine of Hell I certainly reject, I am open to discussion and different perspectives.

  Anyway, enjoy, ready, love and get back to me on your thoughts over the issue. Here we go.

  “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. Those who knock it is opened.”
  ― C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce

  Hell. No matter where you land on the issue, it is perhaps one of the most dreadful of doctrines to discuss. Every Christian knows someone who will be found wanting on the Day of Judgement, and like God, we take no pleasure in the perishing of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11). One should not be able to discuss such doctrines without feeling a sense of despair for the one who may go there. It is a heavy burden indeed to live one’s life knowing that not everyone’s future is so secure. Yet, it is a reality that every one of us must face, that we all must give due diligence to if we are to be faithful Christians who deliver the message of hope. For some, Hell is a place where fire burns eternally, where the stench of sulfur and ever rotting corpses permeate the underworld never ceasing. For others, Hell is fiction, perhaps a fairy tale used to scare children into being good little boys and girls. The truth, I think is somewhere in between.

  When we grab one doctrine and start to study it we must consider it in light of Scriptures grand narrative, the bigger picture so to speak. Simplistically, the story of the Bible looks something like:

  creation > fall > exile > redemption > new creation

  —————————————————————————–

                                      (Kingdom)

  The question is where does the doctrine of Hell fit into all of this? Systematically and traditionally, Hell is the consequence of rejecting God in this life so you suffer eternally and consciously in the next. Think torture, burning and wrath being poured out on the wicked for all of eternity. Usually, this fits in between redemption (the Cross) and new creation (as that’s sort of where we are currently in the timeline). However, I think the Bible paints a bit of different picture of Hell, and even the picture it does paint is messy, and not always very clear.

  First, where does the idea of Hell even come from? A lot of work has been done on this, a great podcast you can listen to is here. In short, I’ll say this. Whilst the primary image and metaphor that is used to describe the nature of what happens to those in the afterlife, who continue to rebel against God is one of fire and torment, the New Testament also uses other images to describe this reality. Hell is firey, hot and tormenting (Matthew 13:42, 25:41; Mark 9:43; Jude 1:7; Revelation 21:8), but it is also dark, depressing and full of anguish (Matthew 8:12, 22:13, 25:30; 2 Peter 2:4). Because the Bible is using metaphors to describe to us what Hell is like, and hell can be both firey and painful, as well as dark and depressing. Interpreting these images is quite the task as they could have different meanings based on the context and on the literary structure of the Bible. What we can gather however is that this is not a place you want to end up. For me personally, Hell is more about what we do to ourselves as opposed to the everlasting wrath of God tormenting us.

  Hell, I think, is more about the choices we make here in this life and how they carry over into the next. There is beauty in this life, a lot of it but it seems so often clouded by the chaotic choices humanity makes. We quickly turn against God, one another, and even true selves in order to get what we think is good for us (Gen 3). Picture this for a second. What is the New Creation? It’s where God dwells among His people, it is where people are in perfect harmony with God, one another, and the rest of creation. Love reigns, there’s goodness and perfect health. There’s light and laughter, flourishing and beauty. Therefore, Hell must be a place void of goodness, the opposite of flourishing, a place of darkness and anguish, sickness and death. Why does anyone go there? Because we choose to. The Bible is pretty clear, there are those that love the light and those that love the darkness (John 3:19-21). So lovers of darkness get what they love… darkness. Lovers of light, on the other hand, get light.

  All that to say this – death and then judgement is something that happens to all of us at the end of the age. Jesus will judge all of us, He will separate the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25), the wheat and the weeds (Matthew 13:24-30), to those who don’t obey the Gospel God will judge with everlasting destruction (2 Thessalonians 1) but will grant everlasting life to those who believe (John 3:16). We have to wrestle with this, meditate on it and work out the implications of what we believe. We must ask why does this matter, what does this mean, and how this affects our lives? Good luck.

  Posted in Scribbles | 3 Comments | Tagged Christianity, church, doctrine, eschatology, God, heaven, hell, Jesus, opinion, Spirituality, Theology

• Relationships: Love First – Theology Second

  Posted at 11:01 am by scribblingtheology, on June 10, 2019

  

  Hey guys! Have you missed me? I know, this first post I’ve done in a few weeks. Life has been hectic. My wife and I just bought our own cafe so most of our energy has gone into working there, if you’re ever on the Sunshine Coast let me know and I’ll make you a great cup (I hope). Anyway, enjoy this blog 🙂

  The other day I was sitting and having a coffee with a friend of mine. We talked about a lot of different things but the one thing that stuck with me was what he said about theological debate and discussion. He told me that we need to move from trying to fit people into boxes and just let them become who God is making them too be. I loved that.

  Boxes are both helpful and unhelpful. Helpful because putting people into boxes and labelling them helps us to recognise where they’re at in their journey, what they believe and even how to relate to them. This is good because God actually wants us to engage meaningfully, intellectually and teachfully (is that word?) with one another. Boxes are good for this. Unhelpful – because often when we box someone and label them we often end up treating them differently to how God wants us to treat them.

  If someone is different to you theologically or philosophically, we tend intellectually alienate them, treat them like as though they don’t belong, like as though they’re a second class (this is called tribalism). I’ve done it, you’ve done it, we all do it, and I know exactly how it feels being on the receiving end of it (it does not feel nice). We too easily forget that doctrine doesn’t save per se, rather, Jesus does. Doctrine and theology aren’t the path to everlasting life, they are handrails to help us along our journey along the path. Please don’t get me wrong, theology and doctrine are important, obviously… I mean my blog is called Scribbling Theology, I love it… sometimes too much. It too easily becomes an idol and it easily becomes the way in which I filter my reality… even people through. I think there’s a better way.

  Instead of letting labels and boxes define the people around you, let God define them. They’re image bearers (Gen 1:26), people who are loved by Jesus (John 3:16), who need grace and mercy as much as the rest of us. If there’s a label that we must use to define our relationship with others, if there’s a theology or a doctrine, let it be love (Colossians 3:14-16). Love that person and let them become who God is shaping them to be, not who you want them to be. If they’re behind, maybe that’s exactly where they need to be, if they’re different, maybe God has them there for a reason. Then, finally, grow with them, shape with them, sanctify with them. Teach and be taught. Live and let live. At the end of the day, when all is said and done, after all the advice, prayer and love, they’re life is between themselves and God and that’s a good thing.

  Posted in Scribbles | 0 Comments | Tagged Christ, Christianity, church, God, Jesus, opinion, Spirituality

• Modern Prophets

  Posted at 10:08 am by scribblingtheology, on April 26, 2019

  

  2019 and beyond… what will the world look like? It seems as though the world is in a constant state of change sometimes for the worse, sometimes for the better. With the birth of the technological age, humanity is making leaps and bounds to better our lives with entertainment, production, leisure, even love. But, as they say, with great power comes great responsibility and we have not always been so responsible. Whatever demonic evil thought the nuclear bomb was a clever idea clearly needs a wake-up call. Abortion is at an all-time high, the last century was the bloodiest in the entire history of humanity. As humanity evolves, chaos and corruption are an inevitable price for purchasing prosperity and harmony – apart from God’s Kingdom.

  Imagine though something altogether different. Imagine a world where people love one another without condition or expectation, where prosperity and life flow freely and people live in unison from every tribe nation and tongue. No war, famine, corruption, or chaos, and sin is washed as white as snow. Just the world we all sense it ought to be. The Bible calls this image God’s Kingdom and God calls His Church to be heralds of the Good News of the Kingdom to the ends of the earth. We haven’t always done this well. From time to time, along the way, instead of taking up God’s message we took up arms and killed one another. Instead of loving our neighbours and displaying to the riches of God’s grace we abuse them and display darkness preach chaos. However, I believe today is a new day.

  God is still as passionate today about sending forth His message as He was two thousand years ago when Jesus commissioned His disciples with the great commission. I believe God is continuously calling His Church to preach repentance and good tidings in every nation, with a fire in their bellies and breathe new life into dry bones. I think He wants us to be prophets. He wants us to effectively and meaningfully engage with our contexts (mines Australia) and deliver God’s message that saves. He wants us to call them out of the darkness and into the light. He wants the nations to turn from their sin, uphold the poor and the widows, and be reflections of God’s Kingdom here on earth. It sounds crazy, I know. We can only ever get so far with this. Even with our prophetic sense of purpose in the world, the Spirit guiding us and the Gospel on our tongues the Kingdom will only come in all of its glorious fullness with our Lord Jesus. Until then, preach:

  For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

  How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

  (Romans 10:11-15)

  Posted in Scribbles | 0 Comments | Tagged Christ, Christianity, church, God, Jesus, Power, Spirituality, Theology

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