Subject: Huge Impact? |
Bible Note: Charis: Well, I do think that the pursuit of formal theological training is of great benefit to the believer (even though I have not had the pleasure of such seminary enrollment myself yet). However, I do not think that it should be something for the "elite," which is an idea too commonly held by the clergy and the laity. I am blessed to attend a church that is very concerned with making the congregation "theologically-literate." We currently have a free, weekly class in systematic theology going on taught by one of our elders, for example. Another mid-week course is going on which deals with the teachings of Islam, providing a Biblical response and tips for communicating the Christian faith to Muslims. In my not-humble-enough opinion, it is a core responsibility of the elders/deacons of a church to make sure that the congregation is well-educated in the faith, which means going beyond the practical "how can I have a more meaningful quiet time" types of sermons to giving them the "meat" of the Word (Hebrews 5:12). Of course, at times this may be rebuking, correcting, and convicting to its hearers. In my opinion, however, no one can ever have too much good theological training, along with an understanding is that the whole Christian life and practice is rooted in one's understanding of God and the Bible (i.e. theology is utterly PRACTICAL). I also am a big fan of confessional churches. No, confessions and creeds do not carry the same divine inspiration that Scripture does, and one may in fact disagree with points within those confessions (my denomination even allows for clergy to be ordained and minister while disagreeing with minor points of doctrine in the Westminster Confession of Faith). Here are what I see as the benefits of a well-thought out and comprehensive confession (whether it be Calvinist or Arminian in scope): 1. It usually involves a group effort of people who have dedicated their lives to studying and expounding the truth of God's Word. 2. It goes beyond addressing the basic issues of salvation, as it touches on on the church's understanding of worship, the sacraments, the Bible, prayer, the role of the believer in the whole scheme of things. One has no doubt in coming to a confessional congregation what that congregation holds to be truth. 3. These confessions are supported by a myriad of references to the only standard of faith and practice: the Bible. Contrary to popular belief, a confession does not take the place of the Bible, but rather stands as an explanation of Scripture's basic themes. This is extremely useful, for certain themes (such as the doctrine of the Trinity or the end-times) are not found in one passage of the Bible, but are addressed throughout Scripture. Thus, a confession serves not as a Bible in itself, but a compendium of Christian doctrine based on the Bible. 4. The early Christian church demonstrates the use of creeds and confessions, going back as far as the apostolic era (Hebrews 4:14, 10:23; 1 Corinthians 15; 2 Timothy 2:11-13; Philippians 2:6-11). But the most compelling reason as far as I am concerned is the following: 5. It does an excellent job of preventing false doctrine from entering the church. What I find in many non-confessional churches (and I have belonged to several in my life) are congregations not thoroughly informed on the Christian faith, and more susceptible to being "carried about by every wind of doctrine" (Ephesians 4:14) that comes down the pike. You may not see that as clearly from your Japanese vantage point, but one just needs to go down to the local Christian bookstore in the United States to find the results of such shallow teaching on the best-seller shelves. From "Bible Codes" to the latest eschatological interpretation of what happened on the news yesterday to ten thousand versions and spinoffs of a prayer manual based on an obscure couple of verses in 1 Chronicles, we see the results of Christians not knowing what they believe and grabbing whatever fluff a publisher is willing to spew out. I even saw a book the other day which is supposed to serve as a Bible study using the teachings of the Andy Griffith show as a jumping-off point for discussion! Well-written creeds and confessions and catechisms point to the truths of the Bible and serve as educational tools which prevent this kind of nonsense. Note that I am not saying that non-confessional churches are apostate or not as dedicated to God. I do think that confessional churches have an advantage when heresy or silly ideas visit the front door, and they do serve as useful instruments for educating believers in the essentials of the Christian faith. Hope that clears up my view! Can't wait for the invective response that is sure to follow from someone on this forum... :) --Joe! |