A week of reading...
posted by Little Mo | Permalink |
...which possibly isn't the most exciting blog title ever: but there you go.
Several projects I have on the go at the moment have me reading and trying to understand 1 Timothy, 1 Corinthians and stuff on how the doctrine of creation calls us to develop a Christian mind.
It's all been very interesting: particularly how Paul's assertions against "wisdom" in 1 Corinthians 1 (and the theology that says the cross doesn't make sense to the world) fits in with the call to out-think the world we live in, in this book: Total Truth by Nancy Pearcey. She is someone who confesses that she was "argued" into Christianity by people who intellectually convinced her. Hmmm, how does that work?
Well, I haven't found an answer yet, but I have 2 lines of thinking.
1) A very helpful conversation with Jason Clarke on Tuesday opened my eyes to the truth that what is wise all depends where you are standing. So the cross is foolishness to the world because it doesn't humbly accept the truths that make the cross necessary: sin, God's holiness and grace, the need for redemption etc. In the same way as something can look nonsensical when you JUST look at it alone, but makes sense when you see the whole picture, so the cross is ultimately wise, it does ultimately make sense of the world, but only when you humbly accept some truths about God and yourself. Thus the cross confounds the wisdom of the world (the world could never think it's way to it), but is the only real wisdom that makes sense of the world we live in.
2) Even Nancy Pearcey says that her being intellectually convinced was an act of God humbling her. So having her eyes opened to the truth that she couldn't function in an intellectually satsifying way without Jesus involved her falling down and admitting she needed God and couldn't do it alone. So it IS still God saying "you can't think your way to a solution without me", humbling the proud through showing them that only trusting him allows the world to be as it should be. "The foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom." Indeed.
Personally, it's been challenging to not faff around, but work hard! It's also been hard to see again in 1 Timothy what God commands of the leaders of his people and repent where I don't match up. Lots to think and pray about.
Several projects I have on the go at the moment have me reading and trying to understand 1 Timothy, 1 Corinthians and stuff on how the doctrine of creation calls us to develop a Christian mind.
It's all been very interesting: particularly how Paul's assertions against "wisdom" in 1 Corinthians 1 (and the theology that says the cross doesn't make sense to the world) fits in with the call to out-think the world we live in, in this book: Total Truth by Nancy Pearcey. She is someone who confesses that she was "argued" into Christianity by people who intellectually convinced her. Hmmm, how does that work?
Well, I haven't found an answer yet, but I have 2 lines of thinking.
1) A very helpful conversation with Jason Clarke on Tuesday opened my eyes to the truth that what is wise all depends where you are standing. So the cross is foolishness to the world because it doesn't humbly accept the truths that make the cross necessary: sin, God's holiness and grace, the need for redemption etc. In the same way as something can look nonsensical when you JUST look at it alone, but makes sense when you see the whole picture, so the cross is ultimately wise, it does ultimately make sense of the world, but only when you humbly accept some truths about God and yourself. Thus the cross confounds the wisdom of the world (the world could never think it's way to it), but is the only real wisdom that makes sense of the world we live in.
2) Even Nancy Pearcey says that her being intellectually convinced was an act of God humbling her. So having her eyes opened to the truth that she couldn't function in an intellectually satsifying way without Jesus involved her falling down and admitting she needed God and couldn't do it alone. So it IS still God saying "you can't think your way to a solution without me", humbling the proud through showing them that only trusting him allows the world to be as it should be. "The foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom." Indeed.
Personally, it's been challenging to not faff around, but work hard! It's also been hard to see again in 1 Timothy what God commands of the leaders of his people and repent where I don't match up. Lots to think and pray about.
posted by Little Mo at 1:14 AM
3 Comments:
I dunno, "A week of reading..." definitely makes it into my top list of most exciting post titles ever ;-)
I started commenting but it turned into a post on my blog! Our Foolish Gospel
i stop reading your blog for a COUPLE months and i come back and it is amazingly pretty and cool looking! sheesh. i gotta stay on these things.. hope you're well mo.. :) would love to catch a coffee with you when i come up to liverpool in a few weeks if you are free.. :)
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