Loading ...Do We Realize The Foundation It Takes
Ever since I was introduced to the church, I have heard the common statement that “all one has to do is read the Bible and the pattern of the New Testament Church would appear.” The reason that this statement was so accepted was because of “common sense realism” within the movement. In fact, I was a person who had little to no background with the Bible. When I picked up the Bible there was no preconceived doctrine to overcome or refute. I was a simple open book to the Word of God. When I attended the Brown Trail School of Preaching, I remember learning stuff and questioning the truth of it. In fact, ever some of the instructors would disargee with one another on certain issues. If all major Bible doctrine was easily discernable than all of this teachers should have been in complete argeement on all points of doctrine. Also, I ever questioned some of the teachings that were given to be as the simple reading of the text. The problem was that it was the simple reading of that part of the fellowship, but as I continued to study I was able to realize that the context of the verses did not lead to the conclusion that the professors stated. From some with no background in the Bible to someone who has years of education in the Bible, I have come to the conclusion that we must be patience with those around us because sometimes a doctrine in the Bible must be preceded by years of foundation in various doctrines of the Word. A lot of doctrine is built on other doctrines of the Bible. If we are to be effective and loving we must understand that if someone does not get the “common sense reading of the text” maybe it is because the foundation is not there yet.
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About The Author
If a person thinks about some of the teachings that we have, one can start to make a list of foundations for that doctrine. For example, non-instrumental singing, a prohibative hermenuetic, a strong separation of new and old covenants, Greek knowledge of psallo, etc.
My focus is teaching others Jesus and teaching them to be followers. If I accomplish that much, I can trust God that all the other stuff will fall in place as God wills. Not only do I trust God but I must trust God since all the other stuff is beyond my fallible control (though there are some who surely want to control how everyone else reads the Bible).
An undergraduate professor of mine (Dr. Dan Stockstill) at Harding Univeristy used to say “What we win them with is what we win them too.” The point is that if we teach them Jesus then we win them to Jesus. But if we teach them Church, a hermeneutical paradigm, etc…, then… Well, you know.
Merry Christmas!
Rex
Too many are quick to say “that’s unscriptural” when discussing doctrine. They don’t consider the foundation of the person they’re speaking with and are quick to condemn. In counseling, I look to see what is right with a person. I look for their strengths and then build from there. This has its own obvious applications in the study of the Bible with non / different believers.
Great thoughts Rex and Dale. How are the Holiday’s treating you so far? Dale.
Good thoughts, Matthew. One thing that bothers me with some of our bretheren is the quickness in which we condemn another when they disagree on a doctrinal point. These same bretheren would more than likely agree that God’s grace would cover a “social” sin yet when it comes to doctrine it doesn’t seem that many in our fellowship would be willing to grant that God’s grace extends that far. I for one am not that confident that we have it all perfected. However, I do believe that God’s grace is big enough to cover all our transgressions.
Rex and Dale, good comments as well. Merry Christmas to all!
Yea, there is grace for moral law but is rejected for positive law.
They’re great. Got your card today. Thanks. It was 8 degrees last night. I suppose you get that all the time.
It may also be that the foundation you speak of is not foundation but mostly presupposition and not really foundation at all. There are millions of people who have picked up the Bible and read it for themselves who are bright well educated individuals and don’t see the “blueprint” in Acts for a church. The idea that any sincere person who studies the Bible would come the same conclusions is crazy. But in the period of modernism this is the only way that truth could exist someone had to be absolutely right and someone had to be wrong. I remember from a very young age having many questions and problems with the ‘foundation’ I was given in the churches of Christ. I have always had problems with the silence of scripture being prohibitive, especially with how inconsistently it was applied; It is ok to build a big expensive church building even though the Bible is silent about that, but it will compromise your soul if you play a piano in a “worship” service. Women may sing but not speak alone in a “worship” service. I could go on but all this stuff is not foundational it is presupposed on the idea that the Bible is giving a blue print for how everything in the church is to be conducted and if there is any form of church that can be determined from the early church it must be replicated to the most precise degree in order to be pleasing to God. I have come to realize this is merely religious dogma. All the denominations have their little idiosyncrasies and believe they have all the right answers and everybody else is wrong. Ironically I was listening to a Baptist preacher the other day, they think all their pet doctrines are “foundational” as well and everyone would see it there way if they would just sincerely study the Bible. This universal attitude in almost every Christian denomination is sad product of modernism. It is also one of the root causes of many people leaving the religion of their youth and the virulent skepticism of organized religion that is held by many in the broader secular population.