Why Do We Complicate Things?
I once listened to a sermon where the pastor preached for close to two hours. He discussed the divisions and conflicts within the Body of Christ. However, he dedicated the entire two-hour sermon to discussing the superiority of Calvinism over Arminianism, Catholicism, and other Christian belief systems. Another message involved a man of God handling female preachers. He was actually against women in leadership roles within the church. He took some time to justify why their denomination prohibits women from preaching the Word. So he vehemently criticized churches that encourage women preachers, labeling their beliefs as ‘‘doctrines of demons.’’
When I was younger, I thought Christian denominations were essentially the same in terms of beliefs, differing only in name. I recently examined denominationalism in the Body of Christ and discovered it to be false. Even more troubling is the fact that most Christian denominations openly express love and acceptance towards other denominations. However, their beliefs, which contain fundamental differences and contradictions, make it difficult for them to engage effectively in practical terms. It’s well known that Fundamentalists and Catholics can’t get along. Even among Baptist churches, different Baptist movements hold conflicting beliefs.
Have you ever questioned the reason behind the abundance of these Christian belief systems? Did you know the confusion we create in the Body of Christ discourages some unbelievers from exploring the Christian faith? In this book, “The Bible Vs Theology,” I explore some factors that lead Christian movements to adopt contrary beliefs and embrace each their own paths. One reason is that they develop their theologies independently from the Bible and attempt to reinterpret the Bible to align with their beliefs. What is the remedy? Quotes from The Bible Vs Theology read:
We should preach God’s Word and teach theology. A preacher proclaims God’s message for the moment to the audience. Whenever a preacher does his job, in reality, the Holy Spirit works through the person. So, the audience keeps quiet and listens to God’s message through the preacher. The Holy Spirit is God. There’s no room for argument with Him. We are not His advisers either.
We teach theology because we want to add to our existing understanding of what the Bible already says, not because of any additional revelations. Theology comes with discoveries that bring more light to the Scriptures. The Bible allows for theological endeavors, which is why theology exists. When theology lacks inspiration from the Holy Spirit, it becomes mere human speculation.
We preach what is authentic and teach what needs authentication to allow an evaluation through reason. The Bible’s content is authentic. That’s why we preach it. Theology is not always authentic, except the Holy Spirit inspires it. Additionally, theologies inspired by the Holy Spirit do not conflict with one another. The reason we teach a theology is to provide the opportunity to either reject or validate it.
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Stay blessed and see you shortly!