You may have heard of 'Reformed Theology'. If you are like I was at first, you are thinking it is nothing more than big words in big books written by big headed Bible scholars. Come to find out, that is not what it is at all. While there are certainly a number of books out there that are intimidating to a small mind like mine, that is not all it is. In fact, one reason some of these books are hard to understand is because they deal with issues and terms that many Christians have never dealt with, even though they are in the Bible.
I want to deal with what I think are the only two real fields of theology, 'reformed' and 'conformed'. I say this because of the definitions. If you look up 'reformed' and 'theology', you figure out that reformed theology is basically the removal of error in the study of God and His Word. It is an attempt to see what the Bible really says about anything and everything.
I want to avoid a debate between election and freewill salvation, because there is a bigger point to deal with.
It should be the desire of any true Christian to study God's Word wholeheartedly, removing all presuppositions, previous teachings ingrained in the mind, and opinions of respected pastors or even family members. The important question is 'what does God say?'
There are too many study resources out there to be uneducated about the Word of your Creator and Savior. This to me is a basic explanation of 'Reformed Theology'. Maybe not comprehensive, but a basic idea.
So, what is 'Conformed Theology'? The American Heritage Dictionary defines 'conform' as:
To correspond in form or character; be similar.
So, what I mean by conformed theology is a theology and a belief about God that simply coincides with what someone else has said without searching scripture to find the truth. A few warnings:
Romans 12:2
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
1 John 4:1
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
John 8:31-32
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
I caution you that these are actual scriptures pulled from the Word of God, they are not from a self help book.
My point is this: For too long, we sat in congregations across America listening to men we thought wise enough to be our one and only connection to the Almighty God. We have the Holy Spirit for crying out loud! Who on earth can be closer and more knowledgeable about God than Himself? Read the Bible and let the Spirit teach you. Let it convict you. Let it change you. Our service to God is too important to let it be manipulated by traditional thoughts and beliefs.
Some resources...
http://www.studylight.org/ NASB is default translation while almost all others are available. Easily search Greek with two clicks. An abundance of commentaries, dictionaries, historical writings, all at the click of a mouse. This is my favorite but don't click on the movieministry.com ad!
http://www.biblegateway.com/ another searchable online Bible with study helps.
http://www.bible-explorer.com/ Free bible download with a ton of free books such as commentaries, dictionaries, etc.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
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1 comments:
I do not understand why it is so difficult for people to not just read the Bible but to study it.
I would not let an uneducated surgeon perform a surgery on me or my family simply because he had read a book on the procedure the night before. So why is it that so many regard uneducated preachers and teachers as having obtained all righteousness as if all authority in heaven and earth had been given to them and not Jesus?
I am not advocating mandatory seminary training for every called preacher, but based on this post I think the issue of correct teaching and instruction is being addressed.
Was not the apostle Paul a scholar having studied under Gamaliel? Did the Lord Jesus not train and instruct fisherman intimately for three years before He turned them loose with His words?
I am not forgetting the role and the influence of the Holy Spirit by any means. It is the Spirit alone who gives us divine revelation into the scriptures but Paul instructed the young pastor Timothy to:
"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." 2 Tim 2:15
To rightly handle the word of truth indicates that we have a solid grasp (or handle) on the original meaning or intent. This is a basic hermeneutical principle. Keep the text in its context!
Another critical point is that we learn to EXEGETE and not EISEGETE. This is the basic principle of reading out of the text and not into the text. We cannot change the original meaning of the scriptures and yet this is what many preachers and teachers are doing today.
I am thankful for a congregation who is not fearful of being educated in the scriptures even if it means taking a step back from "what we have always heard".
John the Baptist said that "He must increase, but I must decrease." Maybe sometimes our decreasing means that we yield to God's word even if it means "reforming" our way of thinking.
Well voiced Unstoned!
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